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Tag: Council chief

  • Council chief distributes foodstuffs to the needy

    Council chief distributes foodstuffs to the needy

    Worried by the level of poverty which residents of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area are experiencing, the Sole Administrator of the local government Lagos State, Mr. Adedoyin Rojaiye has distributed various food items to the needy at the grassroots.

    The distribution was carried out through the Chairmen of various Community Development Areas (CDAs).

    A total of nine CDAs benefitted from the N4 million worth of rice and beans for each CDA and wards in the local government.

    Mr. Rojaiye said the empowerment programme was borne out of the need to identify with the people, share their pains and give them hope, even in the midst of the dwindling economy.

    This, he added, will go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of the people in their daily living. He assured non-beneficiaries of the scheme that they would benefit in the next programme, as the administration will not relent in impacting positively on their lives.

    He stated that in future, market women, youths and the physically-challenged will enjoy periodic free health care check-ups in various health centres, family counseling and other incentives.

  • Don’t dump refuse in gutters, council chief warns residents

    •Lagos Mainland clears drainage

    Officials and workers of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area will clear the drainage of at least 10 streets in the next few days.

    The sanitation is aimed at reducing malaria and other diseases among the residents.

    The local government administrator, Adedoyin Rojaiye, warned the residents against dumping refuse in the gutters.

    Rojaiye spoke during his tour of the drains where two labourers, who were breaking a slab to erect a pole and make for a more comfortable exit for their hotel building, were accosted.

    He said: “Government just repaired two roads in the local government, among which is Borno Way. I am amazed to see them destroy this facility which the government put up for the people. If they put it up, I will prosecute them. This is because they have all been advised to do everything within the ambit of the law.

    “So, I have informed them that they would be prosecuted accordingly, because I won’t stand seeing a road that has just been fixed to be damaged. I have told them to remove the pole. I am sure they will comply.”

    Our reporter visited three of the streets where the sanitation was being carried out and met the local government workers clearing the drainage of sand and other forms of dirt from the gutters.

    They said this would aid an easy flow of the drains.

    A monitoring team, which comprised the local government’s Sole Administrator, Mr Adedoyin Rojaiye, was at work on Freeman Street, Borno Way and Market Street.

    Rojaiye was joined by the council’s health workers for the sanitation.

    The administrator expressed gratitude to the people for giving him the opportunity to serve them and humanity.

    He said this was a coincidence he considered as a long-time vision and buying into the vision of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on the safety and cleanliness of the state.

    Rojaiye said he started the sanitation because of the rainy season, which he noted caused the drains to be blocked.

    The administration said the cleanliness of the streets and the gutters would avert floods and the outbreak of epidemic, especially malaria and Lassa fever.

    Mr Ganiyu, a resident of 45 Odaliki Street, said he had monitored the workers since they began the sanitation, adding that it showed the government was working.

    He recalled that hitherto, there was a blockage in the drainage and whenever it rained.

    Ganiyu said the streets got flooded, adding: “With this development, I am sure there will be free flow of water and we, the residents, will maintain this during environmental sanitation and on regular basis, dispose our dirt properly.”

    Lagos Mainland has major markets, such as the popular Oyinbo Market, where the biggest foodstuff market is situated.

    Rojaiye urged the residents to take a cue from his gesture and clean their drainage regularly to ensure a healthier environment.

  • Olubadan, others praise council chief

    Joy is in the air for a former State Secretary of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State, Hon. Wasiu Olatubosun, who bagged a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Mass Communication last weekend.

    Olatubosun, who is the current Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Ibadan North West Local Government, obtained a PhD in Mass Communication at Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, at the weekend.

    He was appointed to the same position in August, 2011 by Governor Abiola Ajimobi following the party’s victory in the election. Olatunbosun was so deeply involved in political activities that his announcement of completing the academic programme left many in shock. They wondered how he managed to combine intense political activities with rigorous academic research, particularly the political campaign of the last year election in which he served as the Chairman, Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the Abiola Ajimobi Campaign Organisation.

    The surprise led to an outpouring of congratulatory messages for the graduand since announcement of the completion of the academic programme last month.

    At the convocation ground at the weekend, the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, hailed Olatubosun, saying he showed the capacity to excel in whatever he lays his hands on.

    The monarch, who was represented by the Osi Balogun Olubadan, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, said: “We are very proud of him. Despite the tight schedule he has, he still found time to go through this course. It s marvelous. We are proud of him. I wish him more successes. I pray he becomes a professor.

    “My advice to others is that people should not think that they are old or that because they are in positions, they cannot study again. If Olatubosun can find time in spite of the tigh schedule, rigorous electioneering campaign and others, nobody has excuse not to study more. It is a very hard task. I want people to emulate him. It is never too late.”

    Also eulogizing the politician for obtaining the highest degree while serving in a political office and mobilising the grassroots political machinery, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke, said Olatubosun deserves commendation for the new feat.

    His words: “It is gratifying that a man like Ogbeni Wasiu Olatubosun who is known for his passion, commitment and hard work, has made it in the field of academics while still contributing his quota well in politics and public administration. He is our pride in the APC and we congratulate him on this enviable achievement.”

    After obtaining Bachelor of Education degree in Language Arts at the University of Ibadan in 1994, Olatubosun obtained an M. A. In Communication and Language Arts in the same university in 2002 after which he obtained M. Sc. Mass Communication at the University of Lagos in 2007.

    Olatubosun had worked as News Editor at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) from 1996 to 97 and as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University before being appointed as the Chairman, Ibadan North West Local Government since 2011.

  • Council chief warns road cutters, street traders

    Council chief warns road cutters, street traders

    Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Executive Secretary Olusegun Jubril yesterday warned those who cut roads to steer clear of the renovated Okota road.

    Anyone caught, he said, would be prosecuted.

    Jubril, who spoke with The Nation after yesterday’s opening of the road, warned street traders to stay away from the road or face prosecution.

    He said: “Despite the fact that the road is a state road, the onus lies on us to ensure its maintenance. The advantage would be ours if the road is well maintained. Whoever is caught by the council officials cutting roads would be prosecuted. Whatever you want to do on the road, you should ensure the state and local government know about it. People should desist from cutting the roads. If they need to put any pipes on the road, they should go to the relevant authority for permission. If they fail to produce approvals for cutting road, they would be prosecuted.

    “On street trading, the government has made its position known. Anyone participating in roadside trading will be arrested and prosecuted. We have told them to stop all acts of road trading because it endangers their lives. Many people have been crushed to death because of roadside trading. We have been telling them that it is prohibited. If they wouldn’t listen, we would not leave them.”

    The council chief said the economic value of the Okota road to Lagosians is enormous, adding that “it provides many things for the people that reside in this area and environ. We have been expecting the road to be commissioned for a long time but we thank God today that this is happening during my administration. Thousands of people can now get to their destinations within the shortest period of time.”

  • How to save education, by council chief

    How to save education, by council chief

    The Executive Secretary of Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Bola Badmus-Olujobi has said education’s dwindling fortunes can be salvaged through the revival of reading culture in our schools.

    She spoke during this year’s Spelling Bee competition held at the council’s secretariat.

    The council chief noted that education is the bedrock of any emerging society, saying “the event was aimed at encouraging our young ones to strive towards excellence and hard work as means of achieving greatness.

    She said the competition was all about learning and improving one’s knowledge through spelling words that may prove taxing. She praised the efforts of Lagos State Government in improving the standard of education, saying that the competition serves as a continuous assessment for schools.

    Eighteen primary schools and 10 secondary schools from the council area participated in the competition.

    Hon. Badmus-Olujobi encouraged the participants to do their best. She urged them to work hard so as to win the competition at the state level to enable one of them to emerge as “One-day Governor of Lagos State”.

    On how to improve the waning standard of education, Hon. Badmus-Olujobi said: “If all stakeholders show more commitment to the education of children, they (children) will become better citizens in future.

    “We concede that parents are engaged in economic activities in order to take care of their children. Children should be part of parents’ programmes of the day.”

    Describing reading as a skill that enhances our capacity to increase our wealth of knowledge, she lamented the alarming prevalence of poor reading culture and the attendant poor education standard among all segments of Nigerian society.

    “The problem is that our pupils have never been efficiently and effectively taught to read.

    “What a reader needs most is how to decode and comprehend a word. Every primary school teacher in Nigeria knows that the greatest problem of children with reading disability is decoding,” she said.

    Hon. Badmus-Olujobi emphasised that children should be given the necessary encouragement to regard reading as a habit.

    “Spelling is a fundamental step in education and it should be taken seriously. It forms part of the fundamentals of reading.”

    She called for a revisit to the system of junior students using the same books that their seniors had used while in the upper classes.

    “The books used by the students in senior classes could be passed on to those coming behind them. Why can’t a student use the same books that his or her elder ones had used in school? By so doing, the burden would be less on parents,” she said.

    In the primary school level, Master Daniel Imoh of Satellite Nursery/Primary School 11 came first; Master Ifeanyi Chima of Kuje/Amuwo Nursery/Primary School came second while Master Emmanuel Ezeigbo of Satellite Nursery/Primary School 1 took the third position.

    In the secondary school level, Master Odedairo Olayinka of Agboju Senior Secondary School took the first position; Miss Theresa Oyinloye of Satellite Senior Secondary School came second and Master Shedrach Owusu of Agboju Senior Secondary School took the third position.

    In a chat with Southwest Report, Master Olayinka expressed his happiness for winning the competition in the secondary cadre. He praised the LCDA for organising the competition. He also praised the Executive Secretary of the council and prayed God should protect them.

    He said he had to work hard in order to be able to spell words that are more taxing, saying he expected to win the competition.

    Though Master Olayinka would want to be a footballer, he said he would study Banking before his football career.

    Some of the dignitaries that attended the event were Hon. Badmus-Olujobi; Deputy Executive Secretary of the council, Hon. Aregbe Babatunde Saliu; Supervisor for Chieftaincy and Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf; Acting Head of Administration, Mrs. Mosunmola Otaiku-Okoka; SLG/Supervisor for Education, Hon. Mohammed Ajakaiye; School Support Local Government Education Authority, Mrs. Oduwole; Head of Department Education, Mr. Tunde Lateef Sansa; Mrs. Essien and Mrs.Adewale-Bello Folashade Olashile, among others.

  • Council chief reels off achievements

    The Executive Secretary Eti Osa Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr Afeez Badiru, has attributed the success so far recorded by his team to resilience and his clearly-defined visions.

    Leading other members of the executive committee, management staff and other political stakeholders in the council in a pre-inauguration inspection of all the projects the council has executed, Alhaji Badiru said he accepted the responsibility of leadership with the aim of re-engineering virtually all sectors of the council’s economy, provide an enabling environment for the citizens to thrive; particularly in the area of economic well-being and healthy lifestyle.

    Enumerating his achievements, the council chief said major roads in the council area such as Ogombo Road, Babajide Okunnusi Avenue, Ademola Street and Harmony Street both in Langbasa, have been graded while drainage system have been constructed in erosion-prone roads such as Shola Imole and Busola Dalemo as well as rehabilitation and interlocking stones done in Badore Road and the council secretariat at Sangotedo. Also, a new transformer was installed at Owode, Langbasa.

    Also, a new primary health care centre was established at Alayande to take off pressure from the one at Sangotedo while all primary health care centres in Ado and Ajah that had hitherto been vandalised have been reconstructed.

    Also, to make the learning environment more conducive, hundred units of desks and benches were provided for Olomu Primary School as well as fencing and construction of gate at Langbasa Addo Primary School.

    Appreciating the efforts of the Executive Secretary and his team, a resident of the council, Princess Alayande congratulated them on their achievements so far, stressing that all projects carried out are those that have impacted on the lives of everybody in the council. She prayed that God should continue to empower the Executive Secretary to enable him to take the council to another level of development.

     

  • Council chief presents score card

    Council chief presents score card

    The Executive Secretary of Agege Local Government Area, Hon. Omofunmilewa Adejombo    has said that for the people to enjoy good governance, leaders must have a clear understanding of the needs of the people and make efforts to enhance their well-being.

    He stated this during the inauguration of projects carried out by the council to mark his administration’s one year anniversary.

    The council chief, who reeled off his many achievements at the ceremony said he realised from the onset that to make a mark in the local government administration, the series of problems on ground had to be confronted head on, adding that the determination to achieve had resulted in the successes recorded so far.

    On the education sector, he said the council provided uniforms and exercise books to all pupils, distributed desks and chairs to all primary schools as well office furniture for teachers in all the schools.

    The Executive Secretary also revealed that his council rehabilitated some roads that were hitherto dilapidated by grading and asphalting them. He said such roads as Bashorun Ilawe, Samuel Ajayi and Oshogbo Road were rehabilitated.

    The council’s strong belief that the youth are the future of the council emboldened its commitment to youth development. The council, he said, established and maintained a vocational centre located at the council’s secretariat.

    Various skills such as fashion designing, catering and home management, hairdressing, computer and secretariat studies were imparted to the youth of the council. Many have graduated after going through their programmes in the centres, even as the outstanding ones among them we’re presented with the tools of their trade to help them start off.

    Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudasiru Obasa commended the efforts of the Executive Secretary and the Head of Administration Mrs. Mayowa Ikuforiji, saying that their efforts have truly yielded commendable results for the local government Area.

    Other chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the local government who were present at the ceremony included Prof. Tunde Samuel and Alhaji Ayoni Shittu, among others.

  • Council chief urges calm in communal crisis

    The Chairman of Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),   Hon. Yahya Garba has called for calm in Tiv and Dogon Ruwa communities in Gawu ward of the council where there has been a crisis between both communities.

    Garba also appealed to the indigenes of the two communities to live in peace with one another, because development can only be achieved where peace reigns.

    The council boss made the call while addressing youths of the two communities when he visited the scene of an incident that occurred between the Tiv people living in the community, which led the destruction of farm produce, houses and vehicles.

    Garba who commiserated with the victims of the incident, described the situation as unfortunate, appealing for peace and unity between them, that his administration is poised to ensure the protection of lives and property.

    He added that his administration, in partnership with relevant security operatives to bring the perpetrators of the incident to book, while urging them to always maintain peace.

     

  • I would have been nobody without education, says council chief

    I would have been nobody without education, says council chief

    I grew up in the heart of Mushin. Just like other kids in the densely populated neighbourhood, I saw and tasted deprivations. My parents, like some parents here, were poor but they strove to give me qualitative education. That was my saving grace. God used the formal education training to turn-around my story of woes.”

    These were the words of the Executive Secretary, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Rasaq Ajala at the presentation of free Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) forms to indigent students yesterday.

    The forms were presented to those who had passed among the 250 students he gave free General Certificate of Education (GCE) forms last August.

    The gesture, Ajala said, was because of what education did in his life, adding: “I have always maintained that education remains the most potent weapon to liberate people from the shackles of poverty. The truth is that the massive innovative inventions, technological advancement and breakthroughs in various specialisations of science have heralded new opportunities, wealth to those who can discern and had received functional and globally competitive education. So, as a visionary leader who was salvaged from the clutches of poverty through education, I want to ensure that the circumstances of birth of any child do not inhibit his advancement in life. We all owe it a duty to train the younger generation and position them in better stead to harness great gains of this present age.”

    Ajala urged the beneficiaries to always remember their parents’ labour and to make the best of the opportunity they had been given.

    “I charge the beneficiaries of this free JAMB forms scheme to make most of this opportunity. They should remember the toil and labour of their parents who are mostly petty traders, subsistence artisans and retirees and study well to garner enough score to gain admission into their institutions of choice”, he said.

    He promised that those who passed their JAMB examination would receive financial assistance from the council throughout their stay in the tertiary institution.

    Speaking with The Nation, one of the beneficiaries, 16-year-old Sunday Lawal who had six Credits and two Distinctions in his GCE examination appreciated the council chief’s gesture.

    He said: “My father is an auto mechanic while my mother is a petty trader. If not for this gesture from Hon. Ajala, I may not have had the opportunity to write my GCE. I may have joined other youths engaging in public disturbance to eke out a living. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to further my academic career. I also hope to do something like this in future.”

  • Row in Bayelsa over Dickson’s alleged beating of council chief

    Row in Bayelsa over Dickson’s alleged beating of council chief

    •APC: denial statement issued by Government House 

    The alleged beating of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Chairman of Bayelsa State, Chief Remember Ogbe, by Governor Seriake Dickson, yesterday sparked controversies across the state.

    Dickson was accused of descending heavily on Ogbe for failing to ensure his victory at the botched governorship election in the local government on December 5 and 6.

    The election in the area, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) claimed it defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by a landslide, was cancelled, following alleged irregularities.

    Dickson allegedly invited Ogbe to the Government House in Yenagoa and reportedly gave him a beating of his life.

    But the governor has denied assaulting Ogbe.

    A statement quoted Ogbe as debunking the reports that Dickson physically attacked him over the poll.

    The statement, which emanated from a Government House source, said Ogbe described the report of his alleged assault as wicked and malicious, adding that it was the handiwork of the APC and its governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.

    The council chief was quoted as saying that the APC was getting more desperate in its bid to take over Bayelsa State by hook or crook.

    He reportedly expressed confidence that the PDP would win in Southern Ijaw.

    Ogbe was said to have also wondered why the APC claimed that the governor was angry for losing election in his council when there was no election at all in the first place.

    The statement said: “Southern Ijaw was riddled with violence and turned to a theatre of war by the APC. Election materials did not get to the polling units, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials were kidnapped and these were the reasons why INEC cancelled the process and fixed January 9, 2016 for the election. So, how could the governor be angry with me for not delivering?”

    But in a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO), Chief Nathan Egba, APC dared Ogbe to publicly deny the alleged assault.

    Egba said while Ogbe was still nursing his wounds, Dickson, through his Government House Press Unit, was issuing statements for the chairman.

    He said: “Our response is, therefore, simple as we are also very convinced that Chief Ogbe is a Christian.

    “If he is sure that he was not beaten by anybody, let him come out publicly to deny it on television so that cameras can show his face and other parts.

    “It is embarrassing to note that these denials were issued from the Bayelsa Government House Press Office, while Chief Remember Ogbe is still on his sick bed.”

    Egba said the Southern Ijaw Local Government chairman had not been seen in public since the incident.

    He added: “It is more than two weeks now that Chief Ogbe received the Governor’s beating. This is no lie at all and not political either, but to draw attention to the character of the man who is seeking the mandate of the people.

    “Let us recall that Governor Dickson recently met with various stakeholders from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, including the traditional rulers, chiefs, political appointees and youth groups. Chief Ogbe could not attend any of the meetings because of the injuries inflicted on him by the desperate governor.

    “For the records, the APC flag bearer, Chief Timipre Sylva, has nothing to do with the story; rather, it was the numerous eyewitnesses, including some close associates, who broke the news because of their unhappiness with the goingson in the Government House.

    “We have also promised to provide at least three eyewitnesses, who are willing to stake everything, to confirm this story.”

    Egba urged the Government House to provide a platform for the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area’s chairman to personally address reporters so that Bayelsa residents could see who was lying.